1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information terminal device, an input/output control method and a storing medium, and more particularly, to a control of input/output when a remaining quantity of a battery of an information terminal device driven by the battery becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a portable terminal device is driven by a battery. If a remaining quantity of the battery is reduced, input/output operation such as communication is not carried out stably, and there is an unfavorable possibility that an error may be generated in data which is input or output. For such a case, technique for stopping the communication function of the portable terminal device when the remaining quantity of the battery is small for avoiding a failure due to shortage of the battery remaining quantity is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.6-67766.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional structure of the above mentioned conventional portable terminal device.
In this portable terminal device, a judging means 65 compares a remaining quantity of a battery 61 detected by a battery remaining quantity detecting means 63 and a battery volume necessary for communication for a communicating means 62 estimated by an estimating means 64, thereby judging whether there is enough battery remaining quantity necessary for communication. As a result, if there is enough battery remaining quantity necessary for communication, the judging means 65 permits the to communicate means 62 communicating, and if there is not enough battery remaining quantity/power necessary for communication, the judging means 65 prohibits the communicating means 62 from communicating. If the communication is inhibited, the judging means 65 suppresses other function by function suppressing means 67, and newly judges a battery remaining quantity necessary for communication from electricity consumption of suppressed function, thereby avoiding a failure of communication due to shortage of electricity.
The conventional device described above has several disadvantages. For example, some communicating means such as modems can change communication speed, and electricity consumption may be varied depending upon change in the communication speed. However, in the above mentioned conventional example, a variation in electricity consumption is not taken into account. Therefore, when the communication speed is changed in the above mentioned conventional example, a program of the estimating means 64, i.e., an operating system of the portable terminal device must be changed.
Further, among portable terminal devices, some communicating means are exchangeable such as PCMCIA modems each having different electricity consumption. However, a case in which the modem is exchanged is not taken into account in the above mentioned conventional example. Therefore, in the conventional example, a program of the estimating means 64, i.e., an operating system of the portable terminal device must be changed if the communicating means is exchanged.
Furthermore, in the above mentioned portable terminal device, only a case in which operation of a single communicating means is controlled is taken into account. However, there is a case in which one portable terminal device includes a plurality of communicating means such as a LAN card and an infrared modem in addition to a modem. Such a case in which other communicating means are added is not taken into account in the above mentioned conventional example. It is possible, whenever a communicating means is newly added, to add another estimating means 64 which corresponds to the added communicating means, but in such a case also, the operating system must be changed.
Also, when the operation becomes unstable due to decrease in electricity, and there is a problem in quality of data, such a problem arises also in other input/output means in addition to the communicating means. However, an input/output means other than the communicating means is not taken into account in the conventional example.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information terminal device capable of preventing the operation of an input/output device from being unstabilized due to shortage of battery volume without changing an operating system even when electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied due to a setting or the input/output device is exchanged or newly added.
Another object of the invention is to provide an input/output control method capable of preventing the operation of an input/output device from becoming unstabilized due to shortage of battery volume without changing an operating system even when electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied due to a setting or the input/output device is exchanged or newly added.
Further, another object of the invention is to provide a computer-readable storing medium in which a program for realizing the above mentioned input/output control method is stored.
An information terminal device driven by a battery according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: an input/output device; a battery remaining quantity/capacity measuring means for measuring a remaining quantity/capacity of the battery; a driving means for operating the input/output device and storing electricity consumption of the input/output device when the input/output device is operated; and electricity consumption registering means for registering the electricity consumption stored in the driving means; a judging means for judging, when an input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required, whether or not the battery remaining quantity/capacity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring means is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering means; and an input/output permitting means for permitting the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging means judges that the battery remaining power/quantity is enough.
In the above information terminal device, when the judging means judges that there is enough battery remaining quantity, input or output of data by the input/output device is permitted by the permitting means. Therefore, when the battery remaining quantity is not enough, data is not input or output in an unstable operational state. Further, in the information terminal device, the electricity consumption of the input/output device stored in the driving means is registered in the electricity consumption registering means. Then, the judging means judges in accordance with the registered electricity consumption. Therefore, even when the input/output device is exchanged or newly added, it is unnecessary to make change in any other portion than only if there is a driving means corresponding to such exchanged or newly added input/output device.
In the above information terminal device, electricity consumption of the input/output device may be varied depending upon a setting of the driving means. In such a case, the driving means stores electricity consumption of the input/output device for every setting; the information terminal device further comprises; a setting changing means for changing the setting of the driving means when the judging means judges that the battery remaining quantity is not enough; and a re-registering means for registering, in the electricity consumption registering means, the electricity consumption stored in the driving means corresponding to a setting which is changed by the setting changing means.
In this case, electricity consumption corresponding to the changed setting is re-registered in the re-registering means by changing the setting of the driving means by the setting changing means, and the input/output device can be operated in accordance with the re-registered electricity consumption. Therefore, it is possible to allow the input/output device to operate needed operation as much as possible. In this case also, it is unnecessary to make change in other portions.
An information terminal device driven by a battery according to a second aspect of the invention comprises: an input/output device; a battery remaining quantity measuring means for measuring a remaining quantity of the battery; a driving means for operating the input/output device; an electricity consumption measuring means for measuring electricity consumption when the driving means operates the input/output device; an electricity consumption registering means for registering the electricity consumption measured by the electricity consumption measuring means; a judging means for judging, when input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required, whether or not the battery remaining quantity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring means is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering means; and an input/output permitting means for permitting the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging means judges that the battery remaining quantity is enough.
In the above information terminal device, when the judging means judges that there is enough battery remaining quantity, input or output of data by the input/output device is permitted by the permitting means. Therefore, when the battery remaining quantity is not enough, data is not input or output in an unstable operational state. Further, in the information terminal device, the electricity consumption of the input/output device measured by the electricity consumption measuring means is registered in the electricity consumption registering means. Therefore, when the input/output device is used second time or subsequent time, the judging means judges in accordance with this registered electricity consumption. For this reason, even if the electricity consumption of the input/output device corresponding to the driving means is not stored, the same effect as the information terminal device of the first aspect can be obtained. Further, even if the input/output device is changed or newly added, it is unnecessary to make change in other portions other than the driving means corresponding to the changed or newly added input/output device.
In the information terminal of the first or second aspect, the judging means may comprise: a completion time calculating means for calculating time required for completing the required input or output of data to or from the input/output device; an operational time calculating means for calculating a continuously operational time of the input/output device with electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering means within the battery remaining quantity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring means; and a comparing means for comparing the time calculated by the completion time calculating means with the time calculated by the operational time calculating means.
In the information terminal of the first or second aspect, the input/output device may be provided plurally. In that case, the driving means is provided for each of the input/output devices correspondingly; the electricity consumption registering means stores electricity consumption stored in each of the driving means associated with the input/output devices or the driving means; and the judging means judges whether electricity consumption associated with the input/output device or the driving means for carrying out the required input or output of data is enough or carrying out the required input or output of data.
An input/output control method according to a third aspect of the present invention is an input/output control method for controlling an input/output device driven by a battery and controlled by a driver in which electricity consumption of a corresponding input/output device is stored.
This input/output control method comprises: an electricity consumption registering step for registering the electricity consumption of the input/output device stored in the driver; a battery remaining quantity measuring step for measuring the battery remaining quantity when input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required; a judging step for judging whether or not the battery remaining quantity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring step is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering step; and a permitting step for driving the driver for allowing the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging step judges that the battery remaining quantity is enough.
In this input/output control method, electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied depending upon a setting of the driver; the driver stores electricity consumption of the input/output device for every setting; the input/output control method further comprises; a setting changing step for changing the setting of the driver when the judging step judges that the battery remaining quantity is not enough; and an electricity consumption re-registering step for substituting and re-registering electricity consumption store in the driver corresponding to a setting which is changed by the setting changing step for electricity consumption registered in the registering step.
An input/output control method according to a fourth aspect of the invention is an input/output control method for controlling an input/output device driven by a battery and controlled by a driver.
This input/output control method comprises: an electricity consumption measuring step for measuring electricity consumption when the driver operates the input/output device; an electricity consumption registering step for registering the electricity consumption measured by the electricity consumption measuring step; a battery remaining quantity measuring step for measuring a remaining quantity of the battery when input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required; a judging step for judging whether or not the battery remaining quantity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring step is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering step; and a permitting step for driving the driver for allowing the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging step judges that the battery remaining quantity is enough.
A storing medium according to a fifth aspect of the invention is a storing medium for storing a program for realizing an input/output control method for controlling an input/output device driven by a battery and controlled by a driver in which electricity consumption of a corresponding input/output device is stored.
This storing medium is for storing a program for realizing following steps: an electricity consumption registering step for registering the electricity consumption of the input/output device stored in the driver; a battery remaining quantity measuring step for measuring the battery remaining quantity when input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required; a judging step for judging whether or not the battery remaining quantity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring step is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering step; and a permitting step for driving the driver for allowing the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging step judges that the battery remaining quantity is enough.
According to a further aspect of this invention, a storing medium is provided for storing a program for realizing following steps: an electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied depending upon a setting of the driver; the driver stores electricity consumption of the input/output device for every setting; the input/output control method further comprises; a setting changing step for changing the setting of the driver when the judging step judges that the battery remaining quantity is not enough; and an electricity consumption re-registering step for substituting and re-registering electricity consumption store in the driver corresponding to a setting which is changed by the setting changing step for electricity consumption registered in the registering step.
A storing medium according to a sixth aspect of the invention is a storing medium for storing a program for realizing an input/output control method for controlling an input/output device driven controlled by a battery and by a driver.
The storing medium is for storing a program for realizing the following steps: an electricity consumption measuring step for measuring electricity consumption when the driver operates the input/output device; an electricity consumption registering step for registering the electricity consumption measured by the electricity consumption measuring step; a battery remaining quantity measuring step for measuring a remaining quantity of the battery when input or output of data to or from the input/output device is required; a judging step for judging whether or not the battery remaining quantity measured by the battery remaining quantity measuring step is enough for carrying out such a required input or output of data with the electricity consumption registered in the electricity consumption registering step; and a permitting step for driving the driver for allowing the input/output device to carry out the input or output of data when the judging step judges that the battery remaining quantity is enough.
According to the present invention, when the battery remaining quantity is not enough, data is not input or output in unstable operational state. Further, when an input/output device is changed or newly added, it is unnecessary to make a change in any portion other than the driving means (driver) corresponding to such a changed or newly added electricity consumption device.
Further, when electricity consumption of the input/output device is varied by the setting of the driving means (driver), it is possible to allow the input/output to operate as much as possible by changing the setting of the driving means (driver) to a lower electricity consumption side.